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I’ll admit that I’ve been pulled over a couple times and I’ve also had a couple parking tickets, but my record is heavenly in comparison to a Brazilian speedster who’s garnered a whopping $1.9M in traffic fines. For that amount of money you could buy a Bugatti Veyron and have enough money leftover to buy an Aston Martin DBS and a Ferrari F430.
Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW here for this weeks installment of Foreign Fridays! This week, we’ll take a look at essentially the only new car I would seriously consider purchasing off the lot. The combination of power, aesthetics, and straight shooting performance at a reasonable price get me all goosepimply. Feast your eyes on the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback by Ralliart! Read More >>
I know it has been a little while since the last installment of Muscle Car of the Week, but do not fret, it is back with a vengeance. The car featured this week is one that few people have ever heard of which is precisely why it has been chosen (much like many of the other cars featured). Many are familiar with the big block Nova’s of the late 1960’s with their 396 or 427 (Yenko/Baldwin Motion) V8’s, but how about a small block screamer that hauled groceries as well as ass in 1966? Hit the jump to read more. Read More >>
As some of you may already have heard, Chrysler has staked its claim in the all green car market by announcing its plan to roll out a whole lineup of vehicles with electric only powertrains. It is comprised of an electric version of a Chrysler Minivan, Jeep Wrangler, and the Dodge EV. While the other two do have their merits, the EV was by far the most interesting one due to its proposed sportiness as well as the novelty of being its own car. Read More >>
Mazda’s four seat suicide door sports car has usually taken the backseat to its closest rivals (such as the 350z) due to a myriad of reasons such as the less than stellar gas mileage, questionable reliability, and less than spectacular power in a straight line. However, it still has a stronghold over the market segment that consists of die hard rotary lovers and to a lesser extent, the autocross/canyon driving crowd. Fans of the RX8 will always bring up the razor sharp handling and superior driving feel, which they say will help the 8 leave any competitor in the dust when it comes to the turns. Read More >>
Greetings, Big_Blocker here with more interesting truck news. Some of you who read my blog last week on the new variation of the Ford F150 will squeal with delight when you read this. Likewise if you are a MOPAR fan like I am, you will be very interested as to what is going on over at Dodge in terms of the new 2009 Ram. For a look at what the Ram will bring to the table this next year, hit the jump. Read More >>
Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW here with this week’s edition of Foreign Fridays! As 2008 comes to a close (relatively), we’re beginning to see the final production photographs for many models. Today we’re going to talk about two cars that will not be making it to our shores, but were interesting enough to warrant discussion. One is definitely a sexy little hatch that I WISH would be brought over to America, and the other is well… an abortion that somehow made it through to production that I can only hope will never be brought here for any reason. Hit the jump to check em out. Read More >>
My mother has always had a passion for Volvos, so when I suggested we drive down to our local dealership to check out the spunky Volvo C30 she was more than enthused. Upon arrival, I quickly pointed out the unique styling of the 4-seater C30, which churns out an impressive 227 horsepower with its 5-cylinder 2.5L turbo engine. Unfortunately, the fuel economy of 19 city and 27 highway wasn’t up to par for such a small vehicle. If it’s supposed to compare to the smaller Mini Cooper, then Volvo should refine the C30 to get at least 31mpg highway.
My experience test driving the C30 came back extremely positive. What stood out to me the most was the C30’s acceleration from 40mph to 80mph. There was absolutely no lack of power whatsoever. Acceleration from a standstill could use some improvement, but you can definitely feel the power under the hood. The interior of the C30 has a very unique control panel that offers storage space behind it. Check out the C30 profiled by WebRidesTV to get a clear view of the body. Volvo offers the C30 as a base trim or an R trim, which sports 2-tone leather seats, metal-accented interior, and a sweet underbody kit which would otherwise be plastic on the base trim.
After testing out the C30, my mother spotted the mid-size Volvo S60 2.5T and immediately fell in love with the classic Volvo styling. The S80 is a bit too long, and the S40 doesn’t look classy at all. It seems almost chubby. The biggest knock on the S60 is its rear legroom. The fuel economy of 19/27 is exactly like the C30, but it has a bigger cabin and larger trunk. Though the S60 only had 208 horsepower, the acceleration from a complete stop was better than the C30’s acceleration. Puzzling, isn’t it? The seats of the S60 were far more comfortable than those in the C30. Volvo is known for its ergonomic seats that really provide an extremely comfortable ride for all passengers and the S60 did not disappoint.
One question that I have yet to solve is: What are the S60’s competitors? The ES350 starts in the same price range, but the two cars are entirely different. The S60 has a sleek and more compact design while the ES350 is bulkier and not as sporty. A 3-Series is an orange if the S60 is an apple. Sure, both are European, but a 3-series is more luxurious and is definitely more sporty. Volvo doesn’t strive to be the most luxurious brand out there the way Lexus and BMW do. Comparing the S60 to a Mazda5 would be insulting. Perhaps a Volkswagen Passat can put up a good fight, but I’d pick a Volvo over a VW any day of the week.
Overall, I learned this weekend as to why my mother is so passionate about Volvo. The C30 and S60 are very sturdy, fun to drive, affordable, and designed to satisfy the customer. You might argue that all automakers are out to satisfy their customers, but Vovlo does so by putting passenger safety first.
Happy Thursday everyone, Big_Blocker here with an interesting piece of news that was just released today by Ford. The news surrounds the release of a new variation of the 2009 Ford F150 toted as the Superior Fuel Economy edition. Ford claims that by using several advancements in aerodynamics and fuel systems, the F150 SFE is capable of 8% better fuel economy than the 2008 F150. To read how Ford achieved this as well as some of my opinions on the new SFE F150, hit the jump. Read More >>
We’ve been hearing news about the Chevrolet Volt for almost two years now and today we finally get to see real pictures of the car! Along with some more concept photos (updated), a close to production version of the Volt was shown to the public. It certainly doesn’t look anything like the concept pictures that we’ve all been looking at, but it doesn’t look too shabby at all. Many have commented on its resemblance to the Acura TSX, which may not be such a bad thing. Read More >>
